Short answer
Net calories are calories eaten minus calories burned through exercise. Eating 2,000 and burning 350 in a workout gives a net of 1,650. A deficit is a different measure, because it compares intake with maintenance.
1. The two measures
- Net calories = calories eaten − calories burned in exercise.
- Calorie deficit = maintenance calories − calories eaten.
Net calories ignore the calories your body burns at rest and in daily movement, so a net figure is not the same as a deficit.
2. Worked example
A 35-year-old woman, 65 kg and 165 cm, with a sedentary job has a sedentary maintenance of about 1,614 calories (BMR 1,345 × 1.2). She eats 1,700 calories and burns 300 in a run, so her net is 1,400. Her deficit is 1,614 − 1,400 = 214 calories, about 0.19 kg a week. Her intake is above maintenance, but the run puts her in a small deficit. That is why net and deficit tell different stories if you ignore exercise.
3. When to subtract exercise
- If you chose the sedentary level and log workouts separately, subtract the workout calories from what you eat to get net.
- If you chose a higher activity level, exercise is already counted in your maintenance. Do not subtract it again.
4. Why the numbers may not match
Calories burned shown by watches and gym machines are estimates and are often too high. Treat them with caution, and judge results by your weekly average weight, not by a single day's net.
5. Frequently asked questions
What are net calories?expand_more
Net calories are the calories you eat minus the calories you burn through exercise. For example, 2,000 eaten and 350 burned gives 1,650 net.
Are net calories the same as a calorie deficit?expand_more
No. A deficit compares your intake with your maintenance calories, which include resting and daily movement. Net calories only subtract exercise.
Should I eat back my exercise calories?expand_more
It depends on how you set your target. If your activity level already includes exercise, do not eat them back or subtract them. If you chose sedentary, you can count workouts separately.
Is the Calorie Calculator a net calorie calculator?expand_more
Not exactly. It gives a daily target that already includes your exercise through the activity factor, so you do not subtract workouts.